Under the decision, Binh, who was deputy director of the foreign ministry’s Press and Information Department and the ministry’s deputy spokesman, is the new spokesman and is concurrently the acting head of the press department.

Foreign deputy minister Ho Xuan Son handed over the decision to Binh the same day in Hanoi, according to government news website baodientu.chinhphu.vn.

A PhD holder in international relations, he started his work at the ministry in 2000 and has held several positions, including deputy head of Foreign Policy Department and Minh's secretary since December 2008 until he was transferred to the press department in June 2013.

President Truong Tan Sang has appointed Nghi, the former ministry's spokesman and head of its press department, to be Vietnam's ambassador to Australia, the Republic of Vanuatu, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands concurrently.

Binh’s predecessors took the same position in their 40s.They all concurrently served as the press department's head or acting head.